Chapter 105: Poet

In July of the 19th year of the Republic, on the official road from Tingzhou to Changsha, a plainly dressed but strictly disciplined unit was marching. Yong Zhi rode a thin horse, gazing at the endless marching column, and countless thoughts surged in his mind.

"Committee Member, Longting is just ahead," the staff officer handed over a water flask, saying softly.

Yong Zhi took the flask, but his gaze still lingered on the distant mountains. He recalled the poem "Butterfly Loves Flower" he had written last night, whose heroic line about a ten‑thousand‑foot silk cord binding a mythical giant bird formed a subtle contrast with the current arduous march.

As night fell, the camp's bonfires flickered. Yong Zhi sat around a fire chatting with several commanders.

"We are just like what's written in that lyric," Yong Zhi stirred the fire, "we must keep Revolution zeal yet see reality. Blindly attacking a big city will cost us."

As expected, soon the military action to attack Xingcheng faltered, and the unit had to retreat temporarily. This experience made Yong Zhi even more convinced that they must follow a path suited to Huaxia's reality.

In the twelfth month, the Longgang Mountain area was shrouded in gauze‑like morning mist. Yong Zhi and Yu Jie set up a temporary command post in a farmhouse courtyard on Huangzhu Ridge.

"Yu Jie, look at this mist," Yong Zhi said, standing in the courtyard, eyes on the enemy camp faintly visible below the mountain, "Heaven truly aids us. In the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang used the east wind to crush the enemy; today, we ride the morning mist to annihilate the stubborn foe!"

Yu Jie smiled knowingly, "That Zhang Huican really cooperates. He's brought his iron commander right to our doorstep."

The 18th Division led by Zhang Huican was indeed the opponent's elite force, well‑equipped. Yet he broke the cardinal rule of warfare—advancing alone. Under the cover of thick mist, the soldiers quietly completed the encirclement.

At dawn, the charge signal suddenly sliced through the morning mist. Soldiers surged out from all directions, gunfire and battle cries shaking the heavens. The enemy, caught off guard, instantly fell into chaos.

Yong Zhi closely monitored the battle from the command post. When the messenger reported the enemy beginning to rout, he immediately ordered: inform Lin Husan, annihilate them all, no one may escape!

The fighting lasted until noon. When the last resistance was eliminated, the thick mist gradually lifted. The soldiers cheered on the battlefield.

During the post‑battle cleanup, uplifting news arrived: the enemy division commander Zhang Huican was captured alive!

Yong Zhi personally interrogated the defeated general. Zhang Huican hung his head dejectedly and said, "I never even dreamed I would lose so miserably."

Yong Zhi smiled faintly, "You didn't lose to me; you lost to the people."

That evening, at the celebration, Yong Zhi told the generals, "This battle went ideally; the first anti‑bandit operation was a total annihilation, no soldier left behind. Such a feat is rare in war history."

Yu Jie added, "More importantly, we seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition. Now, Jiang, the transport battalion commander, has earned another merit!"

Laughter erupted throughout the hall. Yet behind Yong Zhi's smile lay deeper contemplation.

Meanwhile, inside Jinling's President's Office, the atmosphere was heavy.

Jiang paced back and forth in the office, the battle report in his hand squeaking under his grip. The first 'encirclement' disaster, especially the total loss of the 18th Division and the capture of its commander Zhang Huican, made him furious.

"Useless! All of them are useless!" Jiang erupted, smashing the tea cup in his hand onto the floor, shards scattering. "A hundred thousand troops beaten into a scattering of petals! Zhang Huican, that fool, betrayed my trust!"

The aides fell silent as cold as cicadas. At that moment, Chen Bulei cautiously handed over a freshly received telegram: "Chief, urgent front line message, they are pursuing the victory, our troops…"

"Enough!" the Chief snatched the telegram, scanned it quickly, his face growing darker. "Convene a military meeting at once! I will personally devise the next encirclement plan!"

Half an hour later, the President's Office conference room filled with stars. He Yingqin, Gu Zhutong, Chen Cheng and other senior generals sat upright, each with a grave expression.

"This failure is truly a profound disgrace for our army!" the Chief's voice was as cold as ice, "Zhang Huican's command was weak, unit coordination faulty, causing the Bandit Suppression campaign to fall short. Such defeat must be washed away with blood!"

He halted before the generals, his gaze like a blade: "I decide to dispatch the Fifth Army to join the fight immediately. This unit is well‑equipped and well‑trained, sure to redeem our past shame!"

The conference room instantly filled with murmurs. He Yingqin, about to speak, hesitated, then mustered courage: "Chief, the Fifth Army is an elite force Jiang Gong assembled specifically to guard against external threats; using it for Bandit Suppression might…"

"Fear what?" the Chief barked, "Now Bandit Trouble runs rampant, the real internal threat! Immediately order Jingxing to come see me!"

At this moment, inside the Arms Factory on the Jinling Outskirts, Li Yuxuan was inspecting the production line of new weapons. Lathes roared, workers busily assembled rifles fresh off the line. When he heard the Young Master had summoned him, his heart sank.

"The Young Master summons at this time is probably about Bandit Suppression," Li Yuxuan told the Adjutant beside him, "I worry he will mobilize the Fifth Army."

The Adjutant was puzzled: "Chief, the Fifth Army is our most elite unit; if it joins the fight, it will swiftly eradicate the Bandit Trouble."

"You are too naive," Li Yuxuan shook his head, sighing, "Foreign foes eye us beyond the passes; the Fifth Army is our last trump card. If this force is damaged in a civil war, what will we have to defend the nation when the external enemy invades?"

With a heart full of worry, Li Yuxuan hurried to the President's Office.

Li Yuxuan briskly entered the Young Master's office, finding the atmosphere unusually heavy. The Chief stood with his back to him, in front of a massive Military Map.

"Jingxing, you're here," the Young Master said without turning, "I have decided to deploy the Fifth Army for the next encirclement. This time we must resolve the problem completely!"

Li Yuxuan's heart jolted, and he hurried forward: "Chief, you want the Fifth Army to fight our own people? That's unacceptable!"

The Chief snapped around, his gaze sharp: "How so? Now even you oppose me?"

"Chief, the Fifth Army was created to guard against external threats, extraordinary measures for extraordinary times," Li Yuxuan said urgently, "This unit is equipped with the most advanced weapons, trained for two full years, our final trump card against external threats. Deploying it in a civil war would not only waste its strength, but also…"

"And what?" the Chief asked coldly.

"And I worry the Fifth Army will be exhausted in internal strife," Li Yuxuan said bluntly, "The current external threat is the real internal danger!"

The Chief slammed his hand on the table: "Absurd! If internal threats aren't eliminated, how can we repel the outside? The enemy now sits high; if we don't eradicate them soon, they will become a grave internal danger!"

"But the Eastern Master…"

"Enough!" the Chief roared, "I think you're scared! The Fifth Army must join the fight, that's an order!"

Li Yuxuan inhaled deeply, straightened his back: "If that's the case, allow me to resign my positions as Fifth Army commander and provincial governor. I would rather lay down arms and return to the fields than watch this elite force wasted in internal conflict."

The office fell into death‑like silence. The Chief stared rigidly at Li Yuxuan, his gaze flickering. Finally, he sighed, "You… enough, enough. The Fifth Army will remain unmoved for now."

Li Yuxuan walked out of the President's Office, gazing at the overcast sky, a swirl of emotions in his heart. He knew this dispute was only the beginning, a greater storm was brewing. And he must guard the last line of defense for this disaster‑ridden nation.